Author: Colton

It’s been a few days since the Capitals’ season ended, with an overtime loss to the Powell River Kings in Game 4 of their first round series on Mar 8. Despite the loss, Cowichan left a good taste in the mouths of the fans with a strong effort and an entertaining game in front of the hometown crowd at the Island Savings Centre.

Now that the smoke has cleared, it’s a chance to recap some highlights from a solid season for this year’s Capitals.

10. Third Period Comeback on Opening Night

On Game 1 of the regular season, the Capitals would head into the third period down 1-0 to the visiting Powell River Kings. But in front of the 860 Cowichan fans, they would mount a comeback. Goals from Ben Verrall, Alec Zawatsky, and Jared Domin just 4:44 apart early in the third put the home team up by a pair. Max Newton would score later in the frame as well, before the Kings got a late goal back to make it a 4-2 final.

Impressively, the Caps’ four goals came on only six third-period shots. That would be one of two occasions during the season where the Capitals scored four goals in a period (Nov 5 vs. Vernon, third period).

9. Win in Powell River, Nov 25

Four weeks after losing 9-0 to the Kings in Duncan, the Capitals earned their first regular season win in Powell River in almost two years. The teams traded goals back and forth for most of the night. After the Caps and Kings were tied 2-2 after the first, Cowichan would outscore its division rival 2-1 in the second and third, on the way to a 6-4 win.

Ty Pochipinski scored the Caps’ fifth goal, the eventual game-winner, which was also the team’s first shorthanded goal of the campaign. The Kings would pound 16 shots on goal in the third period, but the Capitals held on. Chris Harpur sealed the deal with a short breakaway and an empty net with 20 seconds to go, skating to the blue paint before sliding home the team’s sixth goal of the night. Rhett Kingston scored a pair and Nick Wilson and Jared Domin also added goals. And goalie Adam Marcoux made 46 saves, as the Kings led 50-25 in shots.

In the third game in two and a half days that saw stops in Prince George on the Friday night and Merritt on the Saturday, the Capitals clawed out a 5-3 win on Oct 2 at Langley. The Caps scored a season-high four powerplay goals on the afternoon, with the other goal coming on a penalty shot.

Ayden MacDonald, playing in his hometown, had the game-winning goal as well as an assist, and was the game’s first star on the afternoon. Chris Harpur, Max Newton (2) and Jared Domin also rippled the twine at the George Preston Rec Centre. Adam Marcoux turned in 39 saves in goal.

7. Trevor Ayre Scores Game-Winner in Hometown Surrey

The Capitals defied the odds on Dec 11 to earn a 2-1 road win against the Surrey Eagles. It was the Caps’ third game in two and a half days, having played in Trail on the Friday night and Penticton a night earlier. The team traveled from Penticton to Surrey on the Sunday morning during a snowstorm on the Coquihalla, and with a slow-go on the roads arrived at the rink just 1.5 hours before puck drop.

With the game tied 1-1 in the second, it was Surrey, BC native Trevor Ayre who would score the eventual game-winner. Ayre, who had family and friends in attendance, capped a memorable and determined shift in the offensive zone that lasted about a minute by converting a rebound on a point shot. Jared Domin also scored on the afternoon, and goalie Lane Michasiw was big, stopping 37 of 38 shots-against in the win.

6. Adam Marcoux’s 54 Saves in First BCHL Win

In the Capitals first of two games at the BCHL Showcase, it was their rookie netminder Adam Marcoux who stole the show with his first career win, a 3-2 Caps victory against the Surrey Eagles on Sep 22.

The Eagles fired 16 shots on goal in the first, 16 more in the second and 26 in the third, leading 56-26 in shots on the afternoon. But Marcoux was strong in the Caps net and his 54 saves sufficed, as he’d earn first star honors as well. Josh Owings, Rhett Kingston and Jared Domin all had goals for Cowichan. Domin’s goal was the game-winner, his third of the year in just the fifth game of the season. The win marked the first of two games in 2016-17 where Marcoux stopped 50-plus shots in a win (Nov 19 at Salmon Arm, 5-2 win, 55 saves).

5. Remembrance Day Win at Home vs. Nanaimo

Capitals vs. Nanaimo Clippers on Nov 11, 2017. (Mijen Multimedia)

On Veteran’s Appreciation Night, with a pregame ceremony that featured a bagpiper leading in the color guard, the Capitals turned in one of their most entertaining outputs at home all season, a 6-3 victory over the visiting Nanaimo Clippers.

The Capitals outscored their mid-Island rivals 2-1 in all three periods, in a game that featured 48 combined penalty minutes and a pair of third period fights that were 29 seconds apart. Michael Montambault and Ayden MacDonald each scored a pair of goals, and George Sennott and Sean Driscoll found the back of the net as well. The Caps’ six goals on the night was one of two times that they scored six in a game this season; the other would be a 6-4 win in Powell River two weeks later (Nov 25). That game included an empty-netter, making Nov 11 the only game where they beat an opposing netminder six times.

4. Harpur, Newton Net Overtime Winners on Back-to-Back Nights

Capitals vs. Langley Rivermen Oct 21, 2017 (Mijen Multimedia).

Two nights, two wins in double overtime. The first of those for the Capitals came on Oct 21 at Alberni Valley, a 5-4 victory. That night, the Bulldogs outshot the Capitals 9-0 in the first overtime, and among those saves for Lane Michasiw were a pair in the dying seconds to keep the game tied 4-4. After a breather, Chris Harpur buried the winner just 41 seconds into double OT. Alec Zawatsky scored two goals, while Ty Pochipinski and Justin Perron scored as well. Michasiw stopped a loud 48 shots, the third time he stopped 48-or-more shots in a game during the season.

The next night, playing at home with the Langley Rivermen in town, the Caps would again prevail in double OT, as this time it was Max Newton who was the hero in extra time. Jared Domin, Nick Wilson and Rhett Kingston also scored for Cowichan on the night. The win made the Capitals undefeated in four straight games (three wins, one tie), which would be their longest undefeated streak during the season.

.@cowichancaps have 10 wins (23 points) thru first 17 games… Last time that happened was 2006-07. Record was 10-5-2 (22 points). #BCHL

The Capitals nine-game losing streak came to an end with a 5-3 win at the Hap Parker Arena on Feb 4. The visitors jumped out a 4-0 lead midway through the second period, as John Sladic scored a pair of goals while Mitch Skapski and Justin Perron also found the back of the net. The Kings would claw back, scoring one in the second and two early in the third, but the Caps held them off. Lane Michasiw stopped 46 shots in goal.

Max Newton, who “called” an end to the losing streak in our pre-game interview that night, promptly hit the empty Kings’ net with 24 seconds to go in the third, sealing the deal. An Atom “B” team from Cowichan, who had played in Powell River earlier, were all wearing their jerseys while sitting behind the Caps’ bench in the stands, chanting and cheering all game. After Newton hit the empty-net, which he shot from right in front of his own bench, the players on the ice and bench all gathered to celebrate, with the Atom B team drooped over the glass behind. To boot, the minor hockey team would count down the final seconds of regulation in the Caps’ win.

2. Haydn Hopkins Game-Tying Goal in Game 4 of Playoffs.

In more recent times, the Capitals didn’t go down easy in Game 4 of their first round series in Powell River, a game the Kings would eventually win 4-3 in overtime to win the series. Mitch Skapski and Max Newton had the home team up 2-0 with early second-period goals, giving the Capitals their first lead of the series. However the Kings struck back, with a goal in the second and two more in the first half of period three.

With 5:05 to play and the Capitals down a goal, Haydn Hopkins energized the fans on hand with a tap-in goal on the doorstep on a Michael Montambault rebound. Hopkins’ goal, the first of his BCHL playoff career in his fourth game, wound up being the team’s final tally of the 2016-17 season. With a lively crowd at the Island Savings Centre that was on the edge during an up-and-down Game 4, it was a moment that they deserved to have in these playoffs.

1. Newton’s 100th point, OT Winner Against Former Team in Trail

The Capitals began a weekend road trip with a game at Cominco Arena in Trail on Dec 9, a building familiar to Max Newton, who spent his first two BCHL seasons with the Trail Smoke Eaters. He was of course traded, along with Nii Noi Tetteh, from Trail to Cowichan ahead of the 2016-17 season.

There on Dec 9, a high-scoring opening period saw the Smoke Eaters with a 3-2 lead after 20 minutes. For the Caps, it was highlighted by Trevor Ayre scoring his first two goals as a member of the Capitals. But the Capitals would come back, beginning with a powerplay goal late in the second period from Newton, a goal that was his 100th career point in the BCHL. And the Caps’ leading scorer wasn’t done yet.

The game would remain tied 3-3 after regulation, before the visitors ended things quickly in overtime. In one end-to-end sequence, Caps’ netminder Adam Marcoux made a game-saving stop, sprawling to his right to make a huge pad save, before Chris Harpur sprung Newton up ice and the two advanced on a two-on-one, as Newton then wired a shot top-shelf over the glove of the Smoke Eaters’ goalie. It was perhaps the most entertaining single highlight from the Capitals’ season. On the night, Marcoux stopped 33 shots, including the final 20 he saw; his 33rd save enabled a special moment on the other end of the ice.

The Capitals will look to close the gap in the first round series with the Powell River Kings on Tuesday night, when the two teams play Game 3 at the Island Savings Centre.

Powell River took Game 1 on Friday night by a 4-2 score at the Hap Parker Arena, powered by 38 shots on goal and a hat trick from Jonny Evans, their regular season leading scorer. Carter Turnbull had the other Kings goal, while Max Newton and Michael Montambault both buried for the Capitals. There were 12 players making their BCHL playoff debut for the Caps in Game 1.

The Kings followed that with a 4-3 win in Game 2 on Saturday night. Goals from Curtis McCarrick, Ben Berard and Callum Volpe had the home team out to a 3-0 lead by 5:33 of the second. The Caps responded with two goals of their own in the middle frame from Ben Verrall and Ayden MacDonald, both coming on the powerplay. Tristan Mullin stretched the Kings lead to 4-2 with an early third period goal, and that would be the eventual game winner. George Sennott also scored for the Capitals in the second half of the third period.

After Powell River led 38-15 in shots in Game 1, Cowichan led 32-31 in Game 2. The Kings led 6-1 in shots to start to second period, and at that point led 18-12 in shots in the game. After that, the Caps led 9-2 in shots to conclude the middle frame, and in total the rest of the way they led 20-11 in the shots department. The Capitals also were 2-5 on the powerplay in Game 2, after scoring one goal on the man-advantage in their previous six games.

Now the series shifts to Duncan for Game 3 and 4, on Tuesday and Wednesday night, and would as well for a potential Game 5 on Thursday night.

Puck drop on Game 3 at the Island Savings Centre is at 7:00 pm.

Who’s Hot:

Capitals: Ayden MacDonald has points in nine straight games and 11 of his past 12… John Sladic and Michael Montambault each have points in four straight games… Ben Verrall has points in back-to-back games… Mitch Skapski has points in five of his past six, while Max Newton has points in three of his past four…

Kings: Jonny Evans has points in back-to-back games and, between both teams, leads all players with four points in this series… Carter Turnbull has points in four straight games and in 10 of his past 11… Cam Donaldson and Tristan Mullin each have points in three straight… Kyle Betts and Ben Berard each have points in six of their past seven games… Carmine Buono has points in three of his past four…

To Cap Things Off: All of Max Newton, Michael Montambault, Ben Verrall and George Sennott scored the first playoff goal of their respective BCHL careers over the weekend in Powell River… Ayden MacDonald has 14 career playoff points, the most among all current Caps; his 13 career playoff games are second only to Chris Harpur (14 games)… The Capitals have won three of their past four at home, and in that time have allowed only eight goals-against… They’ve also allowed only one powerplay-goal-against in their past four home games (11-12, 91.6%)…

For the second consecutive season, the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Powell River Kings will meet in the first round of the BCHL playoffs. This year’s edition begins on Friday, Mar 3 at the Hap Parker Arena in Powell River.

Game 2 will be on Saturday night in Powell River, and the series shifts to the Island Savings Centre for game 3 and 4 on Mar 7 and 8. Game 5 would be on Mar 9, also in Duncan, and games 6 and 7 would be in Powell River on Mar 11 and 12.

The Capitals finished the regular season with a 25-28-3-2 record (3rd Island, 12th League), while the Kings had a 37-19-1-1 record (2nd Island, 5th League). The Caps won five of eight meetings between these teams in the regular season; all eight games were decided in regulation, and while most were closely-played games, seven of them were decided by two goals or more.

In 2015-16, the Capitals and Kings split the season series 4-4-0-0, with each team winning all four home games and the Kings leading 29-23 in goals scored. The Kings led in goals 28-26 in this year’s season series.

These teams last met on Feb 26 at the Island Savings Centre on the final day of the BCHL regular season, with the Capitals earning a 3-1 win over the Kings in front of 840 fans in Duncan. The Kings rested six regular players, including their top five scorers (Jonny Evans, Tristan Mullin, Cam Donaldson, Carter Turnbull, Kyle Betts), and a 19-year-old defenseman (Carmine Buono), and dressed five affiliate players. On the other end of the spectrum, the Caps played with only 10 forwards and five defenseman, as they were missing all of Jared Domin, Haydn Hopkins, Nii Noi Tetteh, Justin Perron and Simon Chen due to injury or illness.

That game, Max Newton opened the scoring for the Capitals at 5:28 of the first with a nifty deke around the Kings netminder. Newton’s goal was his team-leading 25th, as he became the first Capitals player to score 25 goals or more since 2011-12. George Sennott scored nearly 10 minutes later, at 14:53 of the first, to double the Caps’ lead; Sennott’s goal was his first since Dec 17.

After a scoreless second period, Rhett Kingston scored shorthanded 35 seconds into the third to extend the Caps’ lead to three. Kingston’s goal was his 16th of the year; of those goals, he’s scored five against Powell River. The Kings would get on the scoreboard with 3:15 to go in regulation, making it a 3-1 score and ending a shutout bid for Capitals’ goalie Adam Marcoux (rest assured, I never mentioned a “shutout” on air!). The Kings pushed late with a 6-on-4 chance, with their net empty and a late powerplay, but the 3-1 score would stand to give Cowichan a second straight win to end the regular season.

Both teams had strong efforts in the crease on the afternoon; Marcoux earned his ninth win with 32 saves, while Kings goalie Mitch Adamyk stopped 35 of 38 shots. Both teams were perfect on the PK: the Kings were 5-5 while the Caps were 6-6. Of the Capitals’ penalty kills, they killed off two long 5-on-3’s, one that was 1:51 and another that was a full 2:00, and they also registered a shorthanded goal.

Heading into action on Friday night, Cowichan has won four of it’s past six games, while Powell River is 16-3-0-1 since Dec 30. These team’s past five games are nearly identical: the Caps are 3-2-0-0 in that span, while the Kings are 3-1-0-1.

Regular Season Series:

09/10/16: vs. Powell River 2, Cowichan 4

10/09/16: vs. Powell River 2, Cowichan 5

10/28/16: vs. Powell River 9, Cowichan 0

11/25/16: at Powell River 4, Cowichan 6

11/26/16: at Powell River 3, Cowichan 2

02/03/17: at Powell River 4, Cowichan 1

02/04/17: at Powell River 3, Cowichan 5

02/26/17: vs. Powell River 1, Cowichan 3

Who’s Hot:

Capitals: Ayden MacDonald has points in seven straight games and nine of his past 10, Mitch Skapski has points in eight of his past nine, and Max Newton has points in eight of 10; that line combined for 33 points in 10 games in February… Lane Michasiw has stopped 94 of 98 shots in his past three outings (.959 sv%) and Adam Marcoux has stopped 103/111 in his past three (.928 sv%)…

Kings: Josh Coblenz has seven points in his past six games… Carter Turnbull has points in eight of his past nine (goals in six of nine)… Tristan Mullin has points in five of six, Cam Donaldson has points in six of seven; the 20-year-old Mullin finished seventh in BCHL regular season scoring with 70 points (tied for fourth in goals, 36), the 18-year-old Donaldson was named the BCHL’s Rookie of the Year on Thursday… Goalie Mitch Adamyk has stopped 65 of 69 shots in his past two games (.942 sv%)…

Capping Things Off: With a win on Sunday, the Capitals end the regular season: 12-1-2-1 when leading after 1, 16-0-2-0 when leading after 2, and 18-5-1-2 when scoring first… They were 10-4-0-1 when tied after 1, 5-3-1-1 when tied after 2… Combined attendance in the Capitals’ 28 games at the Island Savings Centre was 20,373 (average 728 per game)… Of the Caps’ 168 goals-for, they scored 45 in the 1st, 55 in the 2nd, 64 in the third and four in overtime… The Caps were 13-15-2-2 against the Island Division this season, compared to 13-16-2-1 in 2015-16…

Capping Things Off, Pt. II:Max Newton had the most 1st period goals (8), Mitch Skapski had the most 2nd period goals (10), and Ayden MacDonald had the most 3rd period goals (12)… No Caps player had more goals in the second half than Newton (13)… Newton and MacDonald led all Caps players in goals at home (14); Jared Domin led the team in road goals (12)… Mi. Skapski had the most three-point games of all Caps players (5); Newton (2) was the only other Capital with more than one… Eight current Capitals players have playoff experience, but only MacDonald (11 games) and Chris Harpur (12 games) have played more than six games… MacDonald leads all current Caps with four goals and 11 points in his playoff career; Harpur is second with five points… The Capitals this season clinched a playoff spot for the second straight year, the first time that’s happened since 2008-09 and 2009-10… Cowichan’s last playoff series win was in March, 2009 (3-0 sweep in first round vs. Nanaimo)…

When asked about a week ago on the record of what I thought the Capitals could use at the trade deadline, I told Nanaimo Clippers play by play announcer Dan Marshall that it wouldn’t hurt for the Caps to get another scoring forward. Adding to my point that, while those types of players are bound to be coveted by teams ahead of the trade deadline, you have to consider just what you’d need to give up to get a sought-after forward.

Well, we found out, when the Capitals and Salmon Arm Silverbacks pulled off the biggest deal around the league on Jan 10, ahead of the BCHL’s trade deadline. Turns out Cowichan would add not one but two forwards: Mitchell Skapski (96), and Haydn Hopkins (97). These acquisitions cost the Caps a pair of 18-year-old forwards: Duncan’s Ryan Hogg, and Trevor Ayre, as well as future considerations.

Skapski was the Silverbacks’ captain until this point, and both he and Hopkins have experience playing major junior. Leadership is a given with these veteran forwards, and these two players were a big part of Salmon Arm’s club this season: average-sized forwards who play with grit and can create offense, and contributors on special teams.

The incoming situation with these two players appears to be a good fit for not only the team, but the players acquired as well… Hopkins is from Victoria, and now will get to play close to home while also having a chance to really stand out in a Caps uniform. For Skapski, it’s a unique position with his younger brother Marshall also a Capital. Mitch and Marshall played against each other in the Interior Division for the first half of the season, when Marshall was still a member of the Merritt Centennials. Who would’ve thought they’d wind up as teammates on Vancouver Island?

Skapski (back to Mitch) has 36 points in 38 games; he joins the Caps now third in points and tied for third in goals (14). Last season, he had 11 goals and 21 points in 54 total games between the Chilliwack Chiefs and Silverbacks. That was also his first full season played in the BCHL, after spending parts of three years in the WHL where he played 143 games. It’s safe to say that this year he’s broken out offensively in the junior ranks, although he’s shown very strong offensive numbers in his career previously. In Skapski’s one year of Major Midget with the Fraser Valley Bruins, he totaled 26 goals and 49 points in 40 games. He actually outscored his teammate Jake Virtanen that year, a fellow Abbotsford native and 1996-born player, who had 17 goals and 39 points.

Hopkins, meanwhile, who’s in his first BCHL season and still has next season in the league as well, he has 15 points in 25 games. Hopkins also had a strong offensive output playing Major Midget – his second of two seasons with the South Island Royals, 2013-14, he totaled 17 goals and 48 points in 36 games. He got into 53 WHL games in parts of two seasons, and last year was moved to Dylan Strome’s Erie Otters in the OHL, where he played 31 games last season and all 13 playoff games. He started the 2016-17 season in Erie and played two games there this season. So while a smaller sample size, Hopkins seems to be having a breakout offensive season of junior hockey as well.

And while the two newest players instantly add to the Capitals’ offense, so should the return of forward John Sladic; the 18-year-old who has missed all but five games so far this season. He traveled to Duncan to join the team on Sunday, and is expected to return to game action this Friday at Coquitlam. From Novi, Mich. (the same town as Caps forward Jared Domin), he has four points in those five games. It’s almost like Cowichan received a third player at the deadline here.

I’ve said for a while that Sladic is the best Capitals player the fans haven’t seen yet. Coming off a second long-term upper-body injury of the season, it’ll likely be some time before he gets to 100% game speed, but he’s undoubtedly a welcomed addition to the club.

It’s been interesting to see what moves teams around the league have been making in the past couple weeks – after all, this is my first kick at the can to take it all in as someone involved in the BC Hockey League. Most have tried to bolster their roster one way or another, and every Island Division team has been no exception.

All five clubs on the Island acquired the playing rights to at least one veteran player (19 or 20-year-old) in the past week and a half. Prior to the afternoon of Jan 10, all those teams but the Capitals had finalized some sort of transaction in that time frame. But the Capitals, as proven, didn’t go quietly. Both Cowichan and Salmon Arm are bound to benefit from this trade – and the ‘Backs are getting two quality players and people in Hogg and Ayre.

One thing clear on the Island is that all five clubs expect nothing less than clinching a playoff spot this season. Should be a fun go of things between now and Feb 26.

The injuries of two top-four blueliners, Nii Noi Tetteh and, seven days later, Ben Verrall, had left a blank space on the Capitals back end.

This week the Caps addressed that by acquiring 18-year-old Marshall Skapski from the Merritt Centennials. He’s from Abbotsford, BC, and has two goals, 10 points and 61 penalty minutes in 75 career BCHL games. There’s some Island Division familiarity here as well, as Skapski played 47 games as a rookie with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, before being dealt to the Cents in the offseason. He also played in five playoff games, in the team’s first round loss to the Nanaimo Clippers.

He’s the youngest of three Skapski brothers: 20-year-old forward Mitch Skapski is the captain of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, and the eldest, 22-year-old Mackenzie, is a netminder in the New York Rangers system.

Mackenzie was a sixth round, 170th overall pick to the Rangers in 2013; he notably made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season, and casually allowed one goal in two games. He won his first start on Feb 20, 2015, and earned a 20-save shutout in his next outing on Mar 14 (both against the Buffalo Sabres). So his career NHL stats are pretty good, and it was an awesome story of getting his feet wet in the NHL, then as a 20-year-old. There’s a great article by Kevin Woodley of nhl.com who told the tale of Skapski overcoming a serious head injury at age 15 after his hockey team’s bus crashed in rural BC. You can find it here.

Anyway, the youngest brother, Marshall, now will get his kicks in with his third BCHL team. At 5’10”, 170 lbs, he plays a strong defensive-minded game. He can chip in on offense when needed (and he’s bound to get some powerplay time this month with the Caps), and he also brings a solid toughness to his game.

Before he debuted in Jr. A, Skapski had 130 penalty minutes in 39 games in the BC Major Midget League (BCMML) with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. He also had six goals and 26 assists with the T-Birds. In eight Jr. B games that year as well, he posted a goal and six points, as well as 18 penalty minutes as an AP with the Ridge Meadows Flames (PJHL). That was where I first saw Skapski, when I was doing color commentary with Ridge Meadows back then. I can recall one game where he scored the game-winner late in a 4-3 home win for the Flames against the Port Moody Panthers. Skapski had three points that night, two on the powerplay, and was named the game’s first star.

It was a small sample size of viewing, but from what I saw I can’t say I’m surprised that Skapski made the jump from Major Midget to Jr. A, and fit in on the Bulldogs blue line as an average-sized 17-year-old last year. He actually didn’t debut with Alberni until October last year, as he started the 2015-16 season in camp with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers before being released on Oct 13, 2015. You could compare that to Ben Verrall’s situation with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, when he started his 18-year-old season on the Raiders roster before being released on October 7, 2014, and debuted with the Capitals three days later. Verrall has been a steady presence ever since on the Caps blue line.

The best part about this acquisition for the Capitals might be that Skapski is eligible to play in the BCHL for two more seasons. He joins Nii Noi Tetteh, Sean Driscoll and Jake Keremidschieff as 1998-born defensemen on the Caps roster. Picking up Skapski is a short-term fix for the Caps with the injuries sustained on defense, but it also has the potential to be a longer-term gain, depending on the fit in the lineup.

It’s a privilege for me to be involved with the Cowichan Valley Capitals, the BCHL, the community of Duncan, the broadcasting industry, and to have a role in the sport of hockey at all. Why not expand it however possible?

Since I took over in the booth as the Caps play by play voice ahead of the 2016-17 season, it’s been my plan to start a blog to add another dimension to my contributions with the team. The 2016-17 BCHL season is at the halfway point of the 58-game schedule (30 games in for the Capitals), and here we are.

I give my voluntary efforts to the team’s website (cowichancapitals.com) with game previews, game recaps, any news with the team. I don’t intend this site to be a carbon copy of that… I hope to add a bit more commentary and perspective.

So thanks for following along. Play by play broadcasting has always been the dream, and I’m grateful for those involved with the Capitals organization and the crew at 89.7 Juice FM who have afforded me this opportunity.